Rotary tube cooler



July l, 1930.

R. BERNHARD 1,769,412

ROTARY TUBE COOLER Filed June 9, 1928 2 sheets-smet 1 :j l /ga July l, l930 R. BERNHARD ROTARY TUBE COOLER Filed June 9. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 1, 1930 RICHARD BERNHARD, vOF LLENTO'WN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO TRA'AYLOR EN- GINEERING.& MFG. CO., 0F` AJIENTO lnrinawaiatli f WN, PENNSYLVANIA, f 'A conroRA'rr'oN or ROTARY TUBE COOLER Appiieation fuga :rune e, 192s. serial No. 284,126.

. My saidinvention relates to cooling apparatus designed more especially for cooling materials having amaterial dustI contentv which it is desirable should be prevented from escaping into the open air, or which, by the value of` such dust content, calls for its collection and utilization.

Calcined zinc ore, iron ore, magnesite and caustic lime may be mentioned as examples ofsuch materials. y

The invention aims to provide-a cooling apparatus which will be simple, economical of production fand operation, durable and highly eflicient. j' The invention lfurther aims toprovide a construction in which the ore will be segregated into a vconsiderable number of separated portions subjected to individual :cooling action, and in which escape -of dust from the cooler into the surrounding atmosphere orl loss of Vsuch dustwill be prevented.

The invention further aims to provide a cooler having maximum capacity and which Will enable. the rapid and eflicient cooling of materials which suffer more or less injury when subjected to excessive agitation, such as repeated liftingV and showering or dropping as occurs in the type of rotary drum coolers heretofore used, and which will keep such materials free from oxidation and other ,chemical .reactions due to contact with the oxygen ofthe atmosphere.

With these and other objects in view, which will hereinafter'appear, the invention comprises the novelconstruction hereinafter described and defined by the appended claims.

What I at present consider the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 yis a central vertical longitudinal section -through the cooler, partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the feed end thereof, and

Fig. 3 is asimilar view of end, but partly in section.

Referring by reference characters to these drawings, my cooleris shown as comprising tube plates 1 and 2 with suitable openings in which are` firmly secured, as by welding or other desired means, an annular series of the discharge changing the sprockets.

tubes 3. These tube plates project beyond the V outer peripheral portions of the tubes, plate 2 fora greater distance, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. An end closure head 4 for the feedend has its major (central) portion of conicalor flaring shape to provide a material receiving chamber adjacent the feed ends of the tubes, said head having a marginalflange 4 lyingy in'a plane perpendicular to the axisof lthe cooler which flange overliest'he outer portions of the tube ends and abuts against the same.

The pe ripheral' edge of the ange is bolted or other-v wise suitably secured to the margin of the tube plate 1.'.

Thecentral portion of said closure head is provided with a tubular extensionv or feed eye 4b whichis journ aled in a suit-able bearing 5 supported by the wall ,of the water tank G.

A feed chute 7 leads through this tubular portion or eye to deliver the material to the cooler, sealing means 8 being provided to prevent the escape of dust between the feed chute and tubular part 4". be supplied from any suitable source, such for example as hopper 9. and is fed from the hopper'to the feed chute by the bladed feed wheel l0 which delivers the material to the feed chute uniformly and continually as required. The feed Wheel 10 is driven by sprocket gearing 10 from the drum extension lb and the speed o f the feed wheel may be varied by As the material drops into the space within the closure head 4, it descends to the bottom thereof and enters the end lowermost tube where it is picked up by its helical conveyor blade 3L and conveyed along the annular space between the inner wall of the tube and the central cylindric rod 3b as the tube revolves.

The tank is filled with water to the level indicated in Fig. l, by which the tube is cooled, being entirely surrounded by the water. As the tubes rise successively out of the water, they are subjected to further cooling action by water sprayed thereon from horizontal pipe 20 having spray openings in its under side, which pipe may be supplied with water fromany suitable source not shown. This The material may spray water acts on the tubes when they reach the top of their circle of movement, the water flowing down and around the outside surface of the tubes and efficiently cooling the same, because of the rapid evaporation of the cooling water.

The discharge end of the cooler is provided with a closure head 12, likewise of substantially conical shape having a peripheral iange 12a (oiiset from the margin of the cone) which is bolted or otherwisesuitably secured to the marginal port-ion of the tube plate 2, such conical portion having a tubular extension 12bwhich is journaled in the bearing member 13 and forms a journal support for the delivery end of the cooler.

The marginal portion of the head 12 carries an annular gear 14 which enables the cooler to be conveniently driven from any suitable source of power through drive shaft 15 and spur gear 16 meshing with gear 14. Said gear is preferably enclosed' by a gear housing 18.

The central portion of the tube plate 2 carries a conical projection 2a, the apex of which is located centrally of the discharge eye or tubular extension 12b, and such spreader carries a plurality of radially arranged blades 12. These serve to lift the material, discharged from the cooler tubes into the lower portion of the space defined by the cone shaped parts, v2EL and 12, until it is in a position above the axis of rotation of the cooler when it will be delivered by gravity through the discharge eye.

The discharge eye or tubular part 12b delivers the material into a closure chamber 19 having a discharge spout 192l which may be providedv with a gravity opening closure member at 19" not shown.

A cooler constructed as above described is extremely eiicient inv operation. i

The material passing through the cooler is divided into a plurality of isolated bodies as it passes through the individual tubes, and the cooling thereof is elfected by convection of heat to the water when the tubes are suby merged, and also by the chillingeilect of the sprayed water on the unsubmerged tubes and the evaporation therefrom, and due to the fact that the ore, during the cooling,lis passed through a plurality of relatively small tubes,

the surface exposed to the cooling action isvery largely increased oyer what would be the case with .the use of a slngle cooling drum as heretofore commonly used. Y

Further, as the ore is confined in such relatively small tubes and conveyed therein by the helical conveyors, dropping or showering 'of the material is avoided and there is therefore no excessive agitation or impact action thereon, and at the same time, the material is kept free from oxidation by atmospheric action and escape of dust content is prevented.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A cooler comprising hollow receiving and delivery heads mounted to rotate about a horizontal axis, a plurality of annularly arranged isolated cooler tubes connecting said heads and having individual conveyor means associated with each tube for effecting passage of material throught the tubes, means for rotating said cooler and means for bringing a cooling liquid into Contact with said tubes as they revolve.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which means 1s provided for spraying water onA the tubes.

3.- A cooler comprising tube plates having annularl arranged spaced openings, tubes having tiieir ends rigidly held in said openings, receiving and discharge substantially cone shaped closure heads having their margins secured to the margins ofl the tube plates, means for rotating the assembly, means for feeding material into the receiv-l ing head, means within the tubes for electing travel ofmaterial through the tubes during their orbital movement, means for effecting delivery of material from the discharge head and a water tank into which the tubes pass during their orbital movement.

4. A cooler comprising tube plates having annularly arranged spaced openings therein, coolin tubes having their ends rigidly held in sai openings, hollow closure heads havingv margins secured to the margins of said tube plates, said heads having tubular extensions forming trunnions journaled in suitable bearings, and helical conveyor blades rigidly held within said tubes, the closure head at the intake end of the cooler comprising 'means for closing the outer portions of the ends of the tubes.

5. A cooler comprising tube plates having annularly arranged spaced openings therein, cooling tubes having'their ends rigidly held in said openings, hollow closure heads .having margins secured to the margins of said header plates, said heads'having tubular extensions forming trunnions journaled in suitable bearings, said tube plate at the discharge end of the cooler having a cone shaped-extension with itsapex disposed adjacent the center of the discharge trunnion, and radial -1 header plates havdischarging it from extension, and a sealed delivery chute leading from said dicharge trunnion'.

A cooler comprising hollow heads having hollow feed and discharge trunnions, a plurality of annulary arranged tubes having their ends in communication with said heads, helical conveyor blades in said tubes, means for rotating said heads and tube's, and means for feeding material to and discharging it from said heads.

8. A cooler comprising hollow heads having hollow feed and discharge trunnons, a plurality of annularlyy arranged tubes having their ends in communication with said heads, helical conveyor blades in said tubes, means for rotating said heads and tubes, and means for feeding material to and said heads respectively, and means for subjecting said tubes to the action of a cooling medium during their rev` elution.

9. A cooler comprising hollow heads having tubular feed and discharge trunnions, a purality of annularly arranged tubes having their ends communicating with said heads, means for rotating said heads and tubes, means within said tubes for effecting travel of material through said heads during their period of revolution, a feed chute for delivering material through the feed trunnion, closure means between said feed chute and trunnion, and a watertank through which said tubes pass in their orbital movement.

10. A cooler comprising hollow receiving and delivery heads, a plurality of annularly arranged isolated cooler tubes connecting said heads, and having individual means associated with each tube for effecting passage of material through the tubes, means for rotating said cooler, and a Water tank .beneath the cooler, into the water of which the tubes are successively submerged.

11. A cooler comprising hollow receiving and delivery heads, a plurality of annularly arranged isolated cooler tubes connecting said'heads, helical conveyor bades within the heads, andV means for rotating heads and tubes.

12. A cooler comprising hollow reeciving and delivery heads, a plurality of annularly arranged isolated cooler tubes connecting said heads, means within said tubes for effecting passage of the material to be cooled through said tubes in segregated batches during the orbital movement of the tubes, means for rotating said heads, and means for applying a cooling liquid to the exterior of said tubes during their orbital movement.

In testimony whereof, I affix my'signature.

RICHARD BERNHARD. 

